Bee-hive



2 SheetsSheet 2. R. 0. SMITH.

(No Model.)

BEE HIVE.

1w VENTOR,

fijG/Z I WITNESSES,

.ldttorhey tlnrrno STATES ROBERT OULLEN SMITH, OF NEVVBERN, TENN ESSEE.

BEE HIVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,685, dated July 3, 1888.

Application filed March 24, 1858. Serial No. 968,376.

To aZZ whom it may concern..-

Be it known that l', Bonner CULLEN SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at New bern, in the county of Dyer and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bee-Hives, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in beehives; and it consists in the construction and novel combination of pzn-tshereiuafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

[n the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a bee-hive embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the top of the lower section. Fig. 4 is a reversed plan view of the lower section. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the upper portion or section of the hive on line a; x of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings by letter, A designates the upper section of the hive, of rectangular form and provided with the cap a, detachably secured by screws to the edges of the section, so that it can be quickly and easily removed for the purpose of extracting honey, or for other purpose. The front of the section A consists of the hinged door B, retained closed by the button b, which is pivoted to the edge of the side opposite that to which the door is hinged.

C is a glass plate standing vertically in the section, just within the door, its side edges being inserted in grooves in the opposite sides of the section.

D is an outwardly and down wardly-inclined opening in the back of the section, and (l is a plug used to close said opening. E is a hollow plug, which is substituted for the solid plug (6 when it is desired to permit the bees to escape from the section A, and e is a swinging lid or cap over the outer end of the plug E, which lid is pivoted through its cars a e to the sides of thehollow plug in such manner that it will close by gravity, but can be lifted by a bee coming from within. Thus the bees can leave the section A through the tubular plug E, but cannot return therethrough.

F is the lower section of the hive, longer than the upper section and supported at its (N0 model.)

i corners upon the legs ff, which are screwed to the lower section and rise above its upper end and form projections/"j", that retain the section A in place upon the lower section.

The partition or diapl'iragm G is removable and rests upon the strips g, secured to the frontand back ofthe lower section, F,on the inside. The said partition forms, with the sides, front. and back of the said section, the openings or slots g. which are closed, when neces sary, by the thin metal strips A, that slide between the upper and lower sections. The section F is to contain the brood of the colony of bees.

h is a starting-strip for the bees in the lower section.

The lower end of the section Fslants downward from back to front at an angle of about forty-live degrees, and is provided with a bottom and alighting board, I, hinged to the back and projecting a sufficient distance outward from the front. The said board rests between the sides of the section, and is kept liush with the lower edges of said sides by means of the buttons i i, pivoted to said edges. \Vhen thus held flush, there is a transverse opening, J, between the board and the lower edge of the front. This opening forms the main entrance for the bees, the projecting front portion of the board being a resting-platform for them.

\iVhen it is desired toclose the opening J by the board I before moving the hive, or for other purpose, the wedge IQ is inserted between one of the buttons i and the board, forcing the latter up against the edge of the front. The said wedge and the solid and hollow plugs are, for convenience, attached to the hive by cords. \Vhen it is desired to clean out the hive, the buttons 2' are turned oil the board and the latter opened widely, giving free access to the interior. To cut off coinmunieatiou between the upper and lower seetions, the metal strips are slid over the slots g, as described.

\Vhen about to remove honey from the sec tion A, the slots 9 are closed and the hollow plug E inserted in the opening D, and allowed to remain until the bees have passed out therethrough. The cap a is then detached and the honey removed.

The glass plate is for the purpose of inspect ing the interior of section A when the door B is opened. The legs are to support the lower section of the hive above the ground.

A hive constructed as described will be very easy to clean, and will partially clean itself, as the refuse will roll down the inclined bottom and out of the opening J; also, moths will find it diffieult to enter, on account of the inclined bottom.

Having described my invention, I claim The herein-described bee-hive, consisting of upper and lower separable sections, the upper section being provided with a removable hol- 10w plug E, having at its end a swinging cap, e, pivoted on the outer sides of the plug, the

lower section having in its upper end arelnovable slotted partition and at its lower inclined end a pivoted bottom board,I,arranged between the sides of the section, the bottoms of said sides having buttons i and a wedge, by means of which buttons and wedge said bottom can be made to close the beeentrance, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses. I

v ROBERT OULLEN SMITH.

Vitnesses:

JlEORG-E MAURICE TATEM, Asa. ALLEM ATKINS. 

